Use a spudger to pry the fan connector out of its seat, and straight up off the logic board.

It is useful to twist the spudger axially from beneath the fan cable wires to release the connector.

The fan socket and the fan connector can be seen in the second and third pictures. Be careful not to break the plastic fan socket off the logic board as you use your spudger to lift the fan connector straight up and out of its socket. The layout of the logic board shown in the second picture may look slightly different than your machine but the fan socket is the same.

In this step you will disconnect the camera cable. Most machines will have a small self adhesive plastic retainer stuck to the logic board to keep the connector in place. Before disconnecting the cable, be sure this retainer is moved out of the way.

Pull the camera cable connector toward the optical drive to disconnect it from the logic board.

This socket is metal and easily bent. Be sure to align the connector with its socket on the logic board before mating the two pieces.

It looks like you need a Phillips #000 screwdriver for the 10 bottom screws. I tried the #00 and it's too big. Good thing I bought a 23 piece precision screwdriver set or else I would have been screwed.

The 10 screws that hold tha bottom case take a #00 Phillips driver, if yours doesnt fit it's probably because it's cheaply made & not precise enough. The only thing that I needed a #000 driver for was the keyboard screws. They're so small they look like specks of dirt or sand. I stripped out 4 of them & now will need to grind the heads off with a Dremel/rotary tool. The other thing that sucks is iFixit doesn't have a tutorial for keyboard replacement!

Before I started removing any screws I took a piece of paper and drew the bottom of the laptop and put a piece of double-sided tape in the spot where each screw goes. That way when I took out the screws, I could put them on the tape so I knew exactly which screw went in which spot. I did the same thing for dismantling the inside on another sheet of paper, then a third sheet for the screen after getting the front glass off.

I use a similar technique: I print out the iFixit manual for the job, and Scotch-tape down the screws/brackets/cables I remove at each step next to the component descriptions. That way, when I'm reassembling, the bits are taped right next to the photo of where they came from.

I'd use a Phillips #000 screwdriver also. The #00 can work, but if the screws are in really tight, it doesn't get far enough down into the screws to get purchase, so it will start to strip (and I agree that the screws are pretty soft). On mine, the screws for the fan were really tight, started to strip with #00, needed a #000 and quite a bit of pressure to get them to move.

yes. I usually plug it in before I screw it down so I can lift the battery a bit and have enough slack to be able to go straight down on the connector, otherwise it comes in on a bit of an angle, which can't be good (though not necessarily bad).

Disconnecting the battery connector is not that different from simply unplugging a battery from an older model MacBook with a removable battery. You're not trying to protect yourself from a "spark", but the internal circuitry when taking the MacBook apart.

Mine broke, too. None of the repair shops in my area do soldering, so I may be SOL. I spilled water on my laptop and a bunch of keys shorted out. I read online from numerous sources that replacing the keyboard yourself isn't hard, so I figured i'd try it. I am majorly disappointed. Suggestion for iFixit: upload a video of someone disconnecting the fan cable connector. Clearly Apple didn't design it to be easy to remove, and your description is inadequate, given how many people have broken theirs.

I found it mostly unnecessary to remove the fan and therefore all of the fan screws in this step. Only the two on the left hand side of the fan actually need to be removed. I also found it extremely helpful, after pulling logic boards several times, to remove the speaker screws at this time. The heat sink and the speaker interfere with each other when you are later trying to remove and then install the logic board. The longer screw goes on end of the speaker assembly that is closest to the fan, and the shorter one goes on the end closest to the dvd slot.

If you are removing the logic board for any other reason than replacing it, or if your replacement logic board came with a fan installed, DO NOT REMOVE THE FAN. It is not necessary for the removal of the logic board. For removal with the fan attached, only remove the two screws on the left hand side of the fan, and leave the cable attached. I see here that too many people have broken the fan cable, and it is too easy to do.

If you only want to replace the DC-in board, stop here and GOTO 17 (and DO NOT 4 and 6).

When the Logic board is loose, lift it up on the Harddrive end and shift slightly towards the HD, so that the USB connectors at the outside come free from under the case rim and the board can be lifted up a bit. Then there´s enough room to move the DC in board, pull the cable out with a pair of tweezers, wriggle it out from under the microphone cable and wriggle the new connector in. It can be pushed into the socket with tweezers or a small screwdriver. This worked perfect for me.

Be careful not to bend the logic board, but otherwise I think there´s much less risk of messing anything up with all the connectors and bits and pieces that need to be loosened and fastened.

I accidentally dislodged the right speaker / subwoofer cable connector as well as the fan cable connector. I know for the fan cable connector there is a warning about how easy it is to dislodge, but there should be more pictures to describe exactly how to avoid doing so. I can live without the right speaker / subwoofer, but my logic board cannot survive long without a fan. I'm trying to see if I can find someone who will try to solder the cable connector back on, but no one in my area will, so I may need to send it out (a local repair shop owner recommended a guy he's used to fix iPad backlights.) I am probably SOL, though. A new logic board is quite pricey... Had I known that it was so difficult to replace the keyboard on your own, I would have paid the $200 for a local repair shop to fix it. I found iFixit helpful but ultimately misleading. I may end up having to get a new laptop altogether. How upsetting.

There is a small piece just below this connector which is just an adhesive block to keep the connector from coming out. It is easiest to peel it up first with a fingernail or spudger then remove the cable. Likewise reinsert the cable before reapplying the adhesive safety stop.

Flat cable ZIF socket manufacturers do not recommend using any tools to open or close the retaining flap due to its fragile nature. They recommend using only you fingers! It's in most socket datasheet instructions section.

When reinserting the keyboard ribbon cable, make sure you push it in all the way (two plastic tools are helpful - one to push it down flat, the other to coax it all the way in). For 3 days after replacing a top case, my MacBook Pro 13" wouldn't start up. I thought the main logic board was fried too. However, reinserting the keyboard ribbon cable again, this time perhaps 1mm farther in, and it started up again! I did the same for the "keyboard backlight ribbon cable" (i.e. reinserted it just to make sure). Really not sure which completed the circuit so is would start, but I suspect the keyboard ribbon cable.

When reinserting the keyboard ribbon cable, make sure you push it in all the way (two plastic tools are helpful - one to push it down flat, the other to coax it all the way in).

I usually use a piece of sticky transparent office tape and stick it over the flat cable a bit further away from the mating part then pull on it. There is no better way to force the flat cable into a stiff connector without damaging the fragile cable.

As others have stated, if the keyboard ribbon cable isn't fully inserted the MBP will not power on. Leo Bodnar's recommendation to use a piece of transparent office tape did the trick for me. Many thanks Leo!

I managed to get the logicboard free without removing the battery. Carefully lift the left side of the board and wriggle it away from the ports. Only try this when you have no tri-slotted screwdriver like myself.

I had a tough time getting one of the battery screws out - the tri-slotted ones (who ever heard of tri-slotted screws?!?) and stripped one of them. I covered the rest of the logic board carefully and cut a new slot in the screw head with a dremel - VERY carefully. worked like a charm.

My MBP 13" (mid 2010) wouldn't turn on. I tried the basic help guides, and eventually opened it and removed the battery, let it sit, and put the battery back in. Still wouldn't turn on. Took it to the Apple store, they said I need a new logic board, which would cost a few weeks and ~$300. This is an expensive repair for an expensive computer which is expected to last for more than a few years before going to !@#$. However, even as expensive as the repair is, isn't it more expensive than the fix-it-yourself guide? Where does one buy a new logic board, and how much does it cost? Looks like the logic boards above cost $600?? How is this do-it-yourself method worth it anymore?

It's time to speak out for your right to repair

Dear Minnesotans,

Right now, Minnesota has a chance to pass the first Fair Repair bill in the nation.
We have a chance to guarantee our right to repair electronics—like smartphones, computers, and even farm equipment.
We have a chance to help the environment and stand up for local repair jobs—the corner mom-and-pop repair shops that keep getting squeezed out by manufacturers.

We've been working with local repair companies, non-profit refurbishers, and tech-savvy politicians to come up with a solution. And they've done just that — Minnesota is the first state to consider a Fair Repair Bill.

If you agree with us, find out who represents you in the Minnesota House of Representatives.
Tell them you support the bipartisan Fair Repair Bill, HF 1048. Tell them that you believe repair
should be fair, affordable, and accessible.